After the Honeymoon's Over
by KRDAMD5
Summary: I just never could leave a good thing alone. This is a followup to the Honeymoon. Warning, it's not all sunshine and roses. They's some angst in here. T is for chapter one only and even then it's a really mild T
1. Chapter 1

**After the Honeymoon's Over**

I can't claim any part of these of marvelous people other than the joy of watching them. Nope, I don't get paid for it either.

_AN: I know Jane Hathaway wasn't exactly a tragic heroine in the series but she was at least tragic in some ways. She was an old maid spinster, too tall, too thin and too in love with a younger man who wasn't too bright. And on top of all that, she had a boss who often took too much advantage of her. If that's not tragic, I'm not sure what is. So please keep that in the back of your mind when reading this with a healthy grain of salt._

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"Jethro! Jethro? Where are you darling?"

Jethro ducked his head and quickly ran to the back of the cement pond hoping to get away before Jane found him. He didn't count on tripping over a chair and falling backwards into the pond.

"Jethro?" Jed reached out a hand and helped pull him up and out of the pond. "What in tarnation are you a doing swimming around in there in your clothes?" He'd just come around the back of the house in time to see Jethro practically dive in, head first. "Cain't you take a bath inside like most folks?"

"I wasn't taking no bath." Jethro scowled at his uncle as he shook like a dog to rid himself of the water and cast a fretful look behind him. "I was tryin' to get away from Jane."

"From Jane?" Jed frowned. "What on earth for? I thought you two was…"

"We are." Jethro dropped his head. "But that's just the problem, Uncle Jed. We are all the time. I cain't seem to get away from her before she's calling me back. I mean… well, I love her and all but… well, she wants to do it all the time. She's worse this time then she was with Junior. A man's gotta take a break every now and then ya know."

Jed nodded his head with a wide grin on his weatherworn features. He did indeed understand. He remembered how his own wife was when she'd been expecting Ellie Mae. "Well, son," he sighed. "You just have to understand, that women get like this when their expecting. It sorta goes with the territory."

Jethro nodded. "Uh, huh and that's jes what I'm figurin' on finding. Some new territory. I figger if I'm real careful…"

"Jethro! There you are!" Jane came waddling out of the house, maneuvering her eight months pregnant frame around the pool as she made her way to his side. "Darling, I thought we were… Oh, hello, Uncle Jed." She offered him a smile. Jed had long since stopped her from calling him Mr. Clampett seeing as how they were now kin.

"Howdy, Jane." He grinned broadly. Aside from his daughter and Granny, Jane had become one of his favorite females simply because of the changes she'd wrought in his overgrown and under-brainy nephew. In the two and a half years that they'd been married, she had managed to make a fairly decent man out of the boy. Even though there were times, the boy didn't like it. "You sure are looking prettier every day."

Jane blushed and dropped her head, cradling her protruding stomach as she glanced up adoringly at her husband. "Well, thank you. I, uh… I just came to collect Jethro for something but if he's busy with you…"

Jethro's head popped up and looking beseechingly at his uncle. "Oh, I shore am, Jane. I mean we's got some things we need doing. Don't we Uncle Jed?"

Normally, Jed didn't like lying or being used by his relatives to get out of things, but he knew Jethro had just about gone the route and he decided the boy needed a breather. "Uh, oh yeah!" He nodded. "Me and Jethro was gonna go inta town a spell. They was something I needed his help with."

"Oh," she tried not to sound as disappointed as she felt. "Alright. Well, perhaps you can help me when you get back." She smiled and reached up, kissing Jethro on the cheek.

By now, no longer embarrassed at showing his wife affection, Jethro turned his head, bringing his lips to hers for a lingering kiss. "I'll…" he stopped and kissed her again. "I'll, uh…" A third kiss and he changed his mind. "Uncle Jed, ya think ya kin do without me fer a while? Uh, me and Jane need to…"

Jed chortled as he shook his head and turned away. "You all jes go on. I got time."

Without another word, Jethro reached down and picked Jane up and carried her back inside.

"I used that think I was gonna have to have a long talk with that boy." Jed grinned. "Guess I was wrong, at least about that."

Once he reached their room, Jethro sat Jane down and opened the door, pulling Jane inside. Wordlessly, he reached for the buttons on her dress and Jane willing reached for his belt.

But just as Jane pulled his belt free, she froze and looked up at her husband. "Junior!" She exclaimed. "Jethro, where's Junior?"

"Junior's with Granny." Jethro mumbled as he quickly pulled Jane's dress over her head and unhooked her bra. "And the door is locked."

Giggling, Jane relaxed as she managed to free Jethro's fully erect and throbbing member from his pants and he gently cupped her breast, thumbing them until they were taut and singing with the electricity of his hands and then his mouth on them.

Pushing her back onto the bed and against the pillows, Jethro wasted little time in maneuvering his way between the already wide spread legs of his wife and gently pushing inside of her. Ever mindful of the child between them, Jane and Jethro made sweet gentle love with the both of them crying out their release when they'd reached the pinnacle of their passion.

"Oh, oh, Jethro." Jane sighed as he slipped out of her, moved to her side and moved her into his arms. "That was… was…"

"It sure ol dee was." He grinned and he inclined his head and captured her lips in a kiss. "You jes get better each time."

Jane giggled again. "You're not so bad yourself, my love."

Jethro leaned over her, ready to start round two when suddenly an urgent knock was heard at the door. "Jethro! Jane! Ya bes come quick. It's Junior. He's hurt." Ellie's Mae's voice was loud and insistent and anguished.

Instantly, the two pulled away and got up, hastily dressed and rushed to the door to find her hopping frantically up and down. "Hurry!" She urged as they exited the room and followed her down the stair case.

They found Jethro Bodine, Jr. laying on the floor at the bottom of the staircase, his head resting in his Uncle Jed's lap, his eyes closed and his breathing barely noticeable. Granny was standing beside him, wringing her hands, tears in her eyes.

"Junior!" Jane cried when she finally reached the bottom of the staircase and ackwardly knelt down by her son. "What happened to him?" She turned anguished yet accusatory eyes on Granny, demanding an answer with her glare.

"We was upstairs." Granny answered mournfully. "We was coming down to fix some vittles and he was holding my hand and he… he tripped." Granny dropped her head in grief, tears falling down her wrinkled face. "I… I tried to catch him but…"

"I done called an am-bu-lance." Jed stated as Jane pulled her son from his lap and cradled him gently in her arms. "They'll be here in a bit. Don't you worry none, Jane. He's gonna be alright."

Jane didn't reply as she held her son and carefully rocked him. She couldn't reply. Not then.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**2**

"Jethro, if you don't sit down, I'm gonna put ya down." Jed looked up at his pacing nephew. They'd been sitting in the waiting room for two hours now while the doctors examined Junior and nerves were wearing thin. All of them were on edge and jumped whenever they saw a nurse or a Doctor headed in their direction.

Well, all of them but Jane. She was sitting quietly in a chair, making no sound and acknowledging the presence of no one. Ellie Mae tried to get her to talk, even offered to take a cab back home and get one of her critters to bring back and cheer her up but Jane merely shook her head. After her initial reaction to her son's injury, she'd made no other sound and in fact barely moved.

Jed was beginning to be as afraid for her as he was his great nephew. She looked on the verge of more tears but she didn't cry. She made no noise at all. "Now, don't you worry none, Jane. That boy's gonna be alright." He patted her hand but she pulled it away and wordlessly turned her head.

Jed looked up at Granny and could see she was as worried as he was about her. But the both of them knew there was nothing they could about her at the moment except be at her side.

Finally, a white coated doctor, tufts of gray hair around a bare dome and glasses perched neatly on his bulbous nose, made his way urgently down the hall towards them. "I'm Dr. Hays. Are you the family of Jethro Bodine, Jr.?" He inquired.

"We is." Jed stood up and offered a hand. "I'm his uncle Jed and these here is his is Ma and Pa." He gestured to Jethro, who stood up, nervously wadding his hat in his hand, and Jane, who didn't stand but looked inquiringly at the doctor.

"How is he, Doctor?" Jethro asked anxiously. "How's my little'un."

"Well," Hays shrugged. "He's alive but he's seriously hurt. He has multiple contusions as well as a sprained left wrist. But..."

"What's a contusion?" Jethro frowned. He hated big words despite his education.

"A contusion is a bruise a..."

"Ohhhh." Jethro halfway smiled. "Well, ain't nothing wrong with a few bruises. Heck, he's a boy. Boy's get bruises all the time."

"Well, perhaps." The doctor replied. But that's not the whole issue. You see my major concern here is his head trauma. I was told he fell down some stairs."

"That's right." Jed nodded. "A big long flight of em."

Hays nodded. "Well, that certainly accounts for the knot on his head and the swelling."

"Swelling?" Granny spoke up for the first time. She considered herself to be rather the family doctor and she knew a few poultices that would help heal swelling. If that was all that was wrong, he'd be just fine. She was just thinking they could all relax until the doctor spoke again.

"Yes." Dr. Hays went on. "He has some swelling on the brain. It's basically rendered him unconscious..." He stopped and revised his wording after looking at the people in front of him. "It's put him to sleep and it is likely to keep him that way until the swelling goes down."

"Well, aint they no poultices or nothing you kin put on him to make that swellin' go down?" Ellie inquired. "Granny, here, knows a heap about such thangs. Maybe she could fix up something."

"I'm afraid there are no poultices that would help in this situation." Dr. Hays shook his head with an arched brow. "It's not that kind of swelling. You see…"

"Well, how do you know?" Jethro interrupted him. "It could be. Ain't ya even willin' to let Granny try?"

"No," Hays shook his gray head again. "You all don't understand. It's not…"

Swellin' is swellin'." Granny put in. "And I know all kinds of thangs fer that."

"Yes, but…" The doctor tried again.

"But what?" Jethro demanded. "Doctor, I want…"

"Let him be!" Jane suddenly stood up, her red flushed face reflecting her grief and fury. "Stop it and let him be! Can't you see? He's trying to say my son is dying. Don't you see that?" She glared at the others as they turned towards her. She wanted to say more but her strength suddenly failed her and her legs buckled. Jethro barely caught her as she slumped to the floor unconscious.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**3**

Milburn Drysdale, unflappable banker to the ultra-rich, stood outside of Jane Hathaway-Bodine's hospital room as nervous as he could be. He didn't want to be there, truth be known. If he could've figured a way out of it; he would've. But the woman he'd have just two years ago sent on a mission like this was in fact the woman he was there to see. And since the request came from none other than Jed Clampett himself, Milburn felt he really had no choice.

"Mr. Drysdale, I know'd you and Jane were right good friends and I figure it'd help a whole heap if you was to come and jaw with her a spell. We's tried but she just won't talk to none of us, not even Jethro. She's been in that there hospital bed fer pert near three days and she ain't moved a muscle." Jed had told him when he called. "We're plumb worried, Mr. Drysdale. Doctor says they ain't nothing more they can do fer her."

Reluctantly, Milburn had agreed and now, here he was, outside of her room, wondering just what it was he could possibly say to her that would help any. Mr. Clampett had no idea of the type of relationship he and Jane had had when she worked as his lowly, oft put upon secretary. Of all people, Milburn considered he'd be the last she'd respond to.

But he had promised his largest depositer he would come. So there he was, taking one last deep breath before pushing open the door and entering, large bouquet of flowers in hand. "Miss… er Mrs. Bodine." He smiled down at her.

Jane was awake, or at least appeared to be, but she didn't even look up to acknowledge his presence. No, "Hello, Chief," left her lips. She simply continued to stare out of the window opposite her bed. Her normally well maintained hair was now lank and limp and sorely in need of a comb. Her skin was pale and despite her advanced state of pregnancy, he could tell she'd lost weight.

"Uh, are you comfortable? Is… is there anything I could get you?" He asked. But she continued to remain mute. "Uh, I brought you some roses." He held out the now slightly wilted flowers. She didn't move, didn't look at them. "I'll… I'll just put them over here. Maybe a nurse could get you some water to put them in or something." Still no acknowledgement.

"Welllll, Doggies. Looky here who's come." Jed suddenly spoke from the doorway. "Ain't that nice, Jane. Mr. Drysdale hisself come to see ya." Jed put on the brightest smile he could muster but he knew it was a futile gesture. He looked behind him at Jethro and gave him a sympathetic shake of the head.

"Nice to see ya, Mr. Drysdale." Jethro managed as he moved over to the bed and took Jane's small, cold hand in his. "Ain't it nice, Jane?"

As before she didn't respond and he truthfully didn't expect her to, but he surely wished she would. Her reaction to the news of their son's condition was something he'd never seen before and he had no idea what to do.

"Uh, well, I guess I'd better go. The bank doesn't run itself now, you know." Milburn put on his patented fake smile and looked back at his former secretary. She'd made no move nor turned her attention away from the window.

He looked over at Jethro and could see the planes of worry across his usually guileless and unlined face. 'No wonder.' He thought. 'With both his son and pregnant wife in the hospital, it was a wonder he was holding up as well as he was.'

He turned back to Jed. "Mr. Clampett…"

"It was nice seein' ya, Mr. Drysdale." Jed said somberly. "I appreciate ya tryin'."

Milburn nodded. "You take care, Mr. Clampett. If there's anything I can do…"

"We'll let you know." Jed patted him lightly on the shoulder as the banker opened the door and exited. When the door closed, Jed looked back over at Jethro. "Uh, I'm gonna leave you two to sit and jaw fer awhile, Jethro. You jes sit there with your wife and I'll be right back."

Jethro nodded without taking his eyes off of his wife. "Thank ye, Uncle Jed."

After Jed left, Jethro gently tugged on Jane's hand. "Honey, ya gotta stop this now. Junior's gonna be alright. I know he will. But you a actin' like this ain't gonna help nobody. Don't ya see? It sure ain't gonna help our little one here." He laid a hand on her protruding abdomen but she continued to remain aloof and mute. "Please, Jane. Please."

Jane finally slid her eyes over to his and reached up, gently caressing his face for just a moment before dropping her hand and once again turning her face away. "I can't." She said softly. "I can't lose my son, Jethro. If I…"

"And you won't." He answered, overjoyed that she finally spoke after so many days. "We won't. Our little boy's gonna be jes fine. I know it."

Jane said no more. There was nothing more to say. Yet.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**4**

Jane was released from the hospital late that afternoon after her physician declared that there was nothing more that could be done for her at a medical facility and heavily implying that a mental facility might be more appropriate. Milburn Drysdale, though he didn't put in another appearance, did send over his new secretary, Ruby Hargrove, to make sure that didn't happen.

Ruby, shorter, stouter, a little older and less educated than Jane was still very competent and Milburn was as pleased with her work as he could be. Though her thick glasses gave somewhat of an owlish appearance to her gray eyes and her pale skin did occasionally take on a rather ghoulish appearance, Milburn didn't care in the slightest. She was, to his estimation, even less likely to get married and leave him than he'd thought Jane was.

And she was efficient. Efficiency was something sorely needed right then. Though the Clampitt's had been in California for several years now and learned a great deal about the way of life out there, they were still relative babes in the woods when it came to navigating systems like that of the hospital and the machinations of well-meaning yet obtuse medical personnel who truly didn't understand people like them.

Ruby tackled that all quite well and within an hour of her arrival at the hospital, she arranged for the bill to be taken care of and Jane to be dressed and wheeled out to her car with Jethro walking anxiously beside her as they left the hospital right after checking on Junior, whose condition hadn't worsened, but hadn't gotten any better.

Jane showed no interest in anything until she saw her son lying there with tubes wires hooked up to his frail little body and his eyes closed, his usually effervescent smile missing. Then, and only then, did she actually show some signs of life as she laboriously pushed herself to her feet, and stepped over to the bed, taking her child's hand in hers and softly kissing it.

"See there, Jane." Jethro smiled happily, thinking that finally she was coming back to him. "Junior's alright. He's jes sleepin' fer a while. But it won't be no time and he'll be a runnin' around like he always is."

If Jane understood what he was saying, agreeable or not, she gave no indication of it. She simply stood there, stared at her son for several long moments then quietly returned to the wheelchair, Ruby held for her, never uttering a word.

Jethro sadly watched her then bent over the bed, kissing his son and glumly following Ruby and his wife out. In all of his born days, he'd never encountered anything like this before and he had no idea what to do. Although the two and half years he'd been with his brainy and much more mature wife had settled him some and even afforded him a certain measure of wisdom and maturity he'd never thought possible, it didn't equip him for this. Nothing did.

When they finally reached the mansion, Jethro quickly exited Ruby's car and opened the back door, helping Jane out. Though she walked along side of him easily, he had the nervous feeling that should he let go of her arm, she might just fall right there and never get back up. When they reached the stairs and she weakly started up them, he could stand it no longer and swiftly picked her up, carrying her up and to their room.

"Ya alright, honey?" He asked as he carefully laid her down on their bed. "Kin I get ya anything? Betcha Granny's got some vittles cooked. I could get ya some."

Jane laid her head back against her pillow but offered no reply. She wanted nothing but the child she was positive was either dead or dying. Nothing else, even the life she currently carried inside of her, could ever take his place or fill the void she already felt.

Seeing that she wasn't going to respond, Jethro turned for the door. "Well, I'm goin' on downstairs, Jane and see if'n Granny's got anything cooked. I'll bring ya up a plate if'n she does." He got no answer.

"Did she answer ya?" To his surprise, Granny was standing just outside of the room.

Mournfully he shook his head. "Naw, she ain't said nothing. Granny, I ain't got no idea what to do neither."

Granny pursed her lips for a second before finally patting him on the arm. "You go on downstairs to the kitchen. I got some ham hocks and greens fixed and they's a big ol pot of possum stew ready. I'll take care of Jane."

"You…" Jethro started to question but at the look in her eyes, he decided it wouldn't be a good idea. Besides, he really was hungry. "Alright, Granny." He said instead as he turned for the stair case.

Granny watched him go and then turned her attention back to the closed door, behind which her grieving granddaughter in law lay. She'd not really wanted to do this. She'd fought herself against it, knowing how painful it would be. But she now knew there was no other option. She was the only one who stood any chance of helping not only Jane through this but Jethro and the rest of the family as well.

So, taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, Granny opened the door and went in. "Jane." She announced when she entered. "We need to talk."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**5**

Jane heard Granny when she entered but she lacked the strength or desire to acknowledge her. She actually lacked the strength or desire to do much at all other than lie there.

'My fault.' She thought to herself constantly. 'It's my fault Junior was hurt. If only I hadn't put my own desires above the needs of my son, he would've been with me instead of Granny and he wouldn't have fallen down those stairs.'

Of course that thought led to another, one that she didn't even want to look at in the cold light of day but one that insistently pushed its way in, anyway. 'If only I hadn't married Jethro in the first place. I knew I didn't deserve him or the child he gave me. I certainly don't deserve this second one. This is entirely my fault for marrying Jethro.'

Granny watched Jane for several long moments before finally, stiffly walking over to the bed. Jane hadn't moved a muscle since she'd entered but the older, wiser woman knew she could hear and understand what she was about to say. Deciding that this might take a while, Granny pulled forth a chair from the dresser and primly sat down next to the bed.

Once she was settled, the Clampitt matriarch looked over at the younger woman with a sad shake of her head. Taking a deep breath, she began.

"Jane, I know ya kin hear me. You kin fool Jethro but you cain't fool me." When Jane failed to move, Granny went on. "I know how you're feelin' right now. Ya think your little boy's gonna die and you think ya ain't got nothing to live fer if'n he does. You probably blame me some fer that since he was with me when it happened. And I betcha even figger this is your fault too somehow. Like maybe if'n ya hadn't been with your husband instead of your son he wouldn't a got hurt. Or maybe ya think you hadn't oughta got married at all to Jethro."

She stopped and gave her words time to settle in on the bereft woman, and was satisfied they'd hit their mark when Jane turned and met her gaze for the first time since Junior got hurt.

"I ain't as daft as you think, Jane. I had me some hurts too. I bet you didn't know that Ellie Mae's Ma wasn't the only child I bore, did ya?"

Jane mutely shook her head.

"They was another one, afore her. A little boy. His name was Zeke. He was a pretty little boy, I'll tell ya. He had him some white blond hair and them pretty blue eyes and a smile that'd melt the snow from the rooftop in the middle of winter. I sure set a great deal of store in that boy."

"Wha…" Jane cleared her throat. Four days of silence had stiffened her vocal cords some. "What happened to him?"

"He died." Granny answered simply, sadly. "He was with his pa down by the crik. He was about 6 years old and he and his pa declared he was old enough to go when his pa went to check his traps. Of course, I didn't want him to go. He was my baby. But my husband swore it'd be alright and that Zeke and him would be home for too long so I let him go."

"Did he drown?" Jane asked.

"Yep," Granny nodded. "Sure did. Wadn't nobody's fault. It jes happened. My husband, Will, said one minute he was a sitting right there on the bank aside of him and the next he was a falling in. Will of course jumped in after him but where they was at, the water was swift and afore Will could find him, he'd already breathed his last."

"I'm sorry." Jane whispered. She didn't know that Granny had suffered such tragedy even after all these years of knowing her.

"Like I said, weren't nobody's fault. It just happened. But ya couldn't a tolt it by me. Why, the way I carried on you'd a thought the world had set a plot agin me to kill off my child and me both. I slung snot and whimpered somethin' awful. Then I got real quiet like. For three whole months after I didn't say nothin' to no one. Not even Will. How he stuck with me, I don't know. But he did. He was a grieving himself but he stayed strong fer me cause I guess he knew I was weak. Too weak fer what happened."

Jane's eyes widened at that because she realized, that's what Jethro had been doing for her. He had to of been as heartsick and worried as she was but instead of falling apart as she had, he had remained strong. Not because he didn't care, but because he cared a great deal.

"How'd you get through that?" She asked Granny.

"Well, I did a lot of prayin'." Granny admitted. "And a lot drinkin of my rumatiz medicine and a lot of sleepin' and then one night, when it got to hurtin' so bad I couldn't stand it, I did a lot of cryin'. I jes broke down one night when I was doin' dishes. I had reached over to put a pan up and I knocked over a little glass that Zeke used to drink out of. That's all it took." She shook her head in remembrance. "I jes sat right down there in the floor of our cabin and I took to bawlin'."

"Were you alone?" Jane wanted to know, grieved at the thought that the older woman would've faced such a time without anyone at her side.

"No, no I wasn't." Granny smiled gently at her. "Will were there and he jes come and gathered me up in his arms and jes rocked me, like a little ol' bitty baby. I cain't tell ya how long we sat there on the floor, the two of us. Seemed like hours, but however long it was, by the time we'd stopped, we both had tears a plenty atwixt us and neither one of us wanted to let go of the other."

"And you were over it after that?" Jane didn't think even something like that would help her get over the loss of her child. Not after wanting one for so many years.

"Naw," Granny shook her head. "But that were the beginning of my healin'. It were a while longer afore I could sleep peaceful at night and see things to smile at but it came. I jes to had to get some of my grievin' out of the way first so they was room for the smiles. But now you..." She paused to make sure Jane heard every word. "You ain't got it as bad as I did. Heck, your little'un's still a living and you got yerself another coming. You oughta be plumb glad about that."

Jane looked down, as she considered the older woman's words. Granny had survived more than the injury of her child. She had survived the death of him and she'd done it without all the help Jane was privileged to have. And though Junior's condition was still serious, he was yet alive.

Granny could see her words had had an impact on the younger woman and she decided she'd done all she could. It was now time for someone else to step in and lead Jane even closer to getting better. Pushing herself up to her feet, she reached down and took Jane's hand. "I'm goin' on back downstairs now. I'll send Jethro up to ya."

Jane nodded and then for the first time since her nightmare began, she smiled. "Thank you, Granny."

"You jes rest easy." She returned the smile. "It'll be alright."

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**The Grand Finale**

Though Granny had sent Jethro up to talk to Jane, he and she had done very little of that. Instead, he had folded her into his arms and the two of them had lain curled up together, sharing the grief and worry and pain, holding nothing back.

After Jane had finally fallen into an exhausted but restful sleep, Jethro sat up beside her for a while longer. He knew there were still a lot of things he needed to learn and though his Uncle Jed had finally quit saying he had to have a long talk with him, he knew that was probably in order as well. But none of that mattered to the woman who lay beside him. She had accepted him for who and what he was and bore him one child and was about to bear him another. He still wasn't sure how everything would work out and it still wasn't a certainty that his son would live, but he was determined that no matter what, he and Jane and the new little one that was coming, would be alright.

"Jane? Honey?" Jethro gently shook his wife's shoulder the next morning. "Ya want some coffee? Granny done made a pot of it and they's a mess of vittles cooked fer breakfast."

Jane opened her eyes and turned over to see her husband's eager smile hovering above her. Though she wasn't really hungry, she knew for the sake of the child she carried she needed to eat. Besides, she wanted to go back to the hospital and see Junior. No, she realized, she needed to go and see him. She needed to hold his hand no matter what his condition. She needed him to know that she loved him.

"Give me a few minutes and I'll come down." She smiled warmly at him.

Jethro bent down and tenderly kissed her before pulling back with a nod. "Ya bes hurry. Ya know I'm powerful hungry this morning."

"I will." She grinned, thinking that perhaps she was hungry after all.

Two hours later, Jethro and Jane set off by themselves to the hospital. Though Jethro still preferred the truck to Jane's car, he knew she didn't and he wanted to do nothing but please her so he pulled the sedan around front and helped his wife into it.

Though Jane didn't say anything as they drove, Jethro knew she was nervous. Reaching over, he took her hand and held it while they drove. No words were uttered, none were needed. Their bond was solid.

When they arrived at the hospital, Jethro let Jane off at the front of the hospital and quickly left to park the car. He expected her to be waiting at the front entrance of the hospital when he got back but she wasn't. Instead she was sitting on a lobby chair, trembling. "Jane? What's wrong? You okay? Is it the baby?"

Jane shook her head and looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "I'm afraid, Jethro." She half whispered. "What if…"

"I'll be right chere beside ya." He told her as he took her hand, helped her up and led her to the elevators.

When they got up to the pediatrics floor, Jane paused again, looking up at her husband with a questioning gaze. She saw love, patience and strength she hadn't seen before. With a slight nod and brief smile, she tightly gripped his hand as they entered their son's room and stepped over to his bed.

Junior was lying as he had been, monitors beeping and tubes hooked up. Jane once again felt guilty for not being there with her son instead of crawling into her world of self-pity and hiding from the pain and grief of his possible loss. Reaching down, she gently clasped his tiny hand in hers, unabated tears flowing swiftly down her cheeks.

"Jethro, if he…"

"Hush." He whispered as he kissed her forehead. "He ain't dead. He's jes sleepin'. You jes wait and see. It won't be no time he'll be up and runnin' around."

Jane didn't reply as she bent down and placed a soft kiss on her son's cheek. "I love you, Junior." She whispered. "I'm sorry I wasn't here before, but I am now. Please wake up. Please."

Just then, Junior's eyelids fluttered and he jerked ever so slightly. For a second, that was all but then his eyelids fluttered again and his eyes opened.

"Jethro?" Jane gasped, open mouthed. "Did… did you see that?"

"I'm gonna git a doctor." He said as he turned for the door. "Be right back."

Jane didn't even notice as she stared at her son. "Junior?" She pleaded. "Baby? Can you hear me?"

Junior closed his eyes and then opened them again as he turned his head towards his mother. Slowly a soft smile crept across his face and he returned a squeeze to her hand. "Ma.. ma?" He called weakly.

Just then Jethro returned, dragging a doctor in behind him. Although the physician hadn't wanted to come, since Junior wasn't his patient, he rethought his refusal when Jethro threatened to carry him in there if he didn't.

"Call Junior Bodine's physician, Dr. Hays." He ordered the nurse as Jethro forcefully pulled him away.

When he got into the room, he moved quickly to the child's side and began to thoroughly examine him as Jane and Jethro stood anxiously by watching every move of both the doctor and the now wide awake toddler.

"Doctor?" Jane finally found her voice when the doctor straightened up. "Is… is he…?"

The doctor looked over at Jane. "His own physician will need to examine him, Mrs. Bodine." He smiled. "But I do believe your little boy is going to be fine."

"He is?" Jethro spoke up excitedly.

At the nod from the doctor, Jethro whooped and instantly picked Jane up, whirling her around, unthinkingly.

"Jet… Jethro." Jane suddenly gasped. "Jethro, please… Oh…"

Instantly, Jethro put her down. "Jane? What's wrong? I didn't hurt ya or nothing, did I?"

Jane bit her lip for a moment as her contraction passed before looking up at her husband. "You didn't hurt me, darling. But I will need a doctor. I think our second baby wants to see it's parents too."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"Jethro, if you don't quit…" Jed's protest died on his lips as he looked up at his nephew. "The boy was worried and pacing was the only thing he could think to do. Jane had been wheeled away to delivery quite some time ago and they had still to hear how she was. Though Jethro and Jed both had made repeated trips to the nurses station to ask about her, they'd both come back with no word.

"I still say if'n I'd been back there with her instead of some big city doctor; that little'un already be here." Granny declared to no one in particular. She was worried too but she wasn't about to let them see just how much.

"Jethro, they's a little café downstairs. I know how you always like to eat when you're nervous. Maybe we oughta go downstairs and git ya something to eat." Ellie Mae had offered. She'd just come in a few minutes before after staying with Junior until he went to sleep.

"I ain't hungry, Ellie Mae." He answered surprising everyone.

"Ya ain't?" Granny questioned. "You really must be worried, Boy."

"I am, Granny." He nodded. "They done been in there for so long and…"

Just then the door to the small waiting room they were in opened and Jane's physician, Dr. Russell, stepped in. "Mr. Bodine?" He smiled broadly. "Congratulations. You have a healthy baby girl."

If Jethro had of smiled any broader, his face would have split in two. "Kin I see her and Jane?"

The doctor nodded with a grin. "They're waiting on you."

That evening, Jethro sat next to his wife's bed watching her sleep. Their little girl, had already been returned to the nursery for a little bit until her next feeding. The past week had been a tough one for Jethro. He'd experienced so many lows and then the highest high he'd ever known. He knew, compared to his wife, he'd always be just a little behind, but right then he could care less. He had everything any man could want and he was grateful for it.

"Jethro?" Jane awoke and looked over at her husband's exhausted features. "You should go home and get some rest. You look tired."

Jethro leaned over and planted a kiss on her willing lips. "Maybe later. Right now, I jes want to sit here with you. That okay?"

Jane nodded. "That's where you belong." She smiled as she closed her eyes and drifted back off to sleep.

The End


End file.
